On a Mission!

The mission was a Mission!

This past December (2017) I traveled with my church, Overcoming Believers Church in Knoxville, TN to the country of Haiti! Our calling was to love, serve, and spread the Gospel to all who we encountered. 

We danced, sang songs, ate food, and took every opportunity to show God's love, grace, and compassion while telling people about Jesus! 

While there for only a week, it was jammed packed! Each day we visited a variety of different churches and always stopped by the Children's Home. One day was special and I got to go to the prison to pass out toiletry items. 

Did you know that they allow up to 500 people to be incarcerated at the prison but they only have 8 jail cells?! Some cells had upwards of 100 people in them. 

To sum it up, our mission included: -Projects at the Children's Home (painting, organizing, VBS camp/games)
-Ministering at local Prison
-Hosting Church Revivals
-Day at the Beach

Pictures say 1,000 words so here are some of my favorites!

Market along back road

Lori, Stelli, and I
Riding the bus

Port-au-Prince Airport

Mission House
Bedroom

Mission House
Bathroom Vanity

Mission House
Bathroom

Dance Off at the Children's Home 

Children's Home

Church Grounds

Playing Red Rover at Church

Kids love Kayla!

Church on Sunday
Small but Mighty

Dance Off at Children's Home

Some of the Boys at the Children's Home

School/Church
Look at how many kids sit on one bench!

The kids received Christmas gifts
A coloring book was like gold!

The beaches were beautiful!

Some of my favorite girls!

Real Life
Hot. Cramped. But Safe!

Asia in the Summertime

I like LOVE adventure and find that traveling is my happy place. I feel at peace on an airplane and relish in the quiet time that I have all to myself. This summer I hit a milestone: 20 countries!

Here’s how it began- Back in February I had applied for a teaching opportunity in China through a program at UT. I was accepted in April, flights were booked in May and I left the country in June. When thinking of traveling to China, I knew that I had to capitalize on the opportunity and decided to visit Thailand as well. Then, as though it couldn’t get any better, I was able to book a flight with a long layover in Japan!

My accommodations in each country were great...I ate well and my money went far. I found Japan to be quaint and clean, the people of Thailand were a bit straightforward but friendly once a business deal had been made, and China was (once again) a delight.

After taking a trip, one of my favorite things to do is look back at pictures and videos. For this trip, I made a quick video that sums up my month of travel in under 5 minutes. 

While on the plane for 15 hours from Shanghai to Detroit I started this video recap and love how it turned out. Pictures are coming, I promise!  

The song is called, Colorful World by CeCe Winans

With so much turmoil in the world and hate crimes being committed against Black men, this song has brought me comfort. The Lord knows just what we need and reminds us that He is near, always.

Listen to the lyrics. They're perfect for this video. And a wonderful reminder that "it's a colorful world, a beautiful world that we live in."

I'm Only Half Crazy

You all are amazing! When I first put it out there on the good 'ol instagram that I had signed up and was training to run in my very first half marathon, I had no clue that I would get such positive and encouraging feedback. Here's the story on how it all began. **If you're in it for the pictures, just keep scrolling and you'll see them. Including proofs of the pictures that the fancy race photographers took and my snapchat story for the day!

A couple years ago I set out to become "a runner." I played every sport in the book when I was younger and even started track and field in high school. You see, I was the lazy one out there and chose to do the field events because I could get out of the running. Clever, right?! So when I was recruited to be a thrower in college I was unpleasantly surprised with the amount of running we had to do. If it involved becoming quicker and stronger; we did it (sprints, bounds, strides, etc). With practice beginning before 8am, on most days I struggled with the two lap dynamic warm-up! So this is where I pause and say that, holy cow, I've come a long way.

In April 2013, I successfully trained and completed my first-ever race. I ran a 5K during alumni weekend at UC Santa Barbara. With my $30 payment, I ran the whole way and was as happy as a clam to finish in under 30 minutes. After that race my running career quickly came to a halt due to no reason other than my own excuses and cravings for donuts and ice cream rather than a good sweat.

Fast forward to October 2015 when my friend, Melissa, visited Knoxville for the South Carolina vs. Tennessee football game. One conversation led to another and before you know it we were talking about health, nutrition, and fitness goals. We had a serious "ah-ha" moment when, at the same time, we pretty much both said I've always wanted to run a half marathon but don't have the guts to sign up. Well, that's all it took to get a pinky promise out of us and we decided to sign up for the Rock 'n Roll DC Half Marathon in March 2016.

I took the next month getting my mind right for the training that would soon kick my backside. I started with a Couch to 5K training plan on November 27th. The first workout was 5 min walk, 2 min jog (repeat 2x). And that was it. Done. It wasn't incredibly physically challenging but I definitely knew I had a longgggg way to go before I could even fathom me completing a half marathon. By December 15th I was able to run for 25 minutes without stopping. At the time, I thought I was going fast but looking back I was just trotting along (5.0 speed on the treadmill). With the holidays and parties rolling in, I kept steady and ran when I could for the next couple of weeks and planned to begin my 10-week training plan during the first week of January.

Monday, January 4th rolled around and I missed my run, and the one on the following day. But on Wednesday, January 6th my official half marathon training began! You'll see my calendars below but I had to get creative and take it back to my primary school days with construction paper and markers to make the calendars and keep my attention. Some days went well. Some days were skipped. Some days were a struggle. And other days were a complete blur. My goal was to take it one day at a time. When I completed my first long run (5 miles) I felt like I was the most accomplished person around town. With each week, my long runs increased and so did my mental capacity for challenging myself. I explored new trails and neighborhoods here in Knoxville and relied on accountability partners to keep me focused. Accountability partners are what made the difference to me so thank you, all of you, who encouraged and pushed me along the way!

With occasional calls to Melissa for check-ins and support, we eventually signed up and made arrangements to travel to Washington, D.C to earn our medals. 

Race Day:
I knew exactly what I was going to wear. I had worn the same outfit on a long run a couple weeks back so there was no guessing on race day how it would fit. My shirt said FIERCE which I thought was fitting for the occasion. The weather was absolutely perfect, 55 degrees and overcast. We got up early and walked to the start line before patiently yet anxiously waiting for our corral's start time. She went first and then me, about 30 minutes later. 

I had my nike run app and iTunes ready to go. My first song was This Is The Day by New Direction - Rain. In that moment, there was no better way to start the race. With the Washington Monument on my left and a lady running with a huge American flag on my right, it was like God was speaking right to me saying, "This is the day that is made perfect in every way." The weather couldn't have been better. I was injury free and running on cloud 9 and so, so thankful for everything. In that moment I knew that I was running with passion. Passion for better health, passion for a commitment to my goals, and passion in knowing that God is bigger than any MIGHTY challenge that lies ahead. 

Outside of a weak left glute that manifested in a tight muscle spasm around mile 8, I ran the race and had fun. The people of D.C. showed up with signs the made me laugh, a tequila bar (yes, right on the race path), a table of bbq (slow smoked- or so the sign said), and costumes…lots and lots of costumes!

Every text and phone call that I received made the experience that much sweeter! I gave that race everything I had and am proud of my finish. Two hours and twenty minutes, and forty-five seconds. I distinctly remember my legs coming to a stop just after the finish line and right in front of a lady passing out finisher medals.  She was turned towards the boxes of medals and I said, "Ma'am, I would gladly take one of those off of your hands." Haha I was desperate. I then drank a whole bottle of water and ate a banana in 0.2 seconds flat. Melissa and I reunited and boy did we celebrate. Lots of hugs and "I can't believe we just did that!" sayings. 

I set out to run a half marathon because it was one thing that I never thought I could actually do. I consider myself a lot of things: an athlete, an educator, a friend, educated, etc but a runner was never one of them. Without realizing it, I has paralyzing myself and holding myself back from all that is possible. Now, three weeks later, I truly feel as though there isn't a thing that I can't do. 

So go out there...set a goal (in fact, set many goals), find people to support you, and do it. Crush those goals and do it passionately.

Long run on a snow day. That shirt, #PunIntended

Post 9 mile run! Feeling Fierce, which is just what my shirt says.

Can we say, nervous smile?!

Pre-race, with all my runner friends :)

Mid race Washington Monument siting!

Lincoln Memorial! Mile 3 and a thumbs up

UCSB Reunion. Keli was the hook-up for our pre-race and race-day needs

Melissa and I. Half Marathon: Done!

Sweet, sweet victory.

A friend, colleague and accountability partner knew what this race meant to me. This took me by surprise and definitely put the cherry on top of an already great race experience. 

I swore that this was a once in a lifetime thing but I'm starting to think that I -might- be able to do it again.  Savannah, GA Rock 'n Roll half in October?! Is that you calling my name??

Cheers! To big dreams and MIGHTY goals, 

Xo Kayla

Quick Recap, 2015

First of all…..drumroll, please…I'm Back!

The hiatus was too long and, especially as of late, I have longed for a space to clear my head and share the joyous moments of life (and those really tricky and hard ones too). 

With yet ANOTHER 365 days gone with the wind, here are some of the highlights from 2015. 

FEBRUARY  SNOW DAYS.
FOUR.POINT.FIVE of them to be exact. Hallelujah!!

FEBRUARY
When it's too cold for snow…you get ice.
And more snow days. 
#CanIGetAnAmen?!

MARCH  
Roommates reunited.
Milkshakes for old times sake.  

MAY
Swinging from ropes in Costa Rica.
Living that #PuraVida life. 

JULY
Traveling with these two is nothing but headaches and belly laughs.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 JULY
Seeing my grandpa and his siblings makes my heart SO happy.
They bicker and talk trash to each other...and love so, so hard!  

SEPTEMBER
And water gushed through my kitchen to…
everywhere else in my place.
#LongNightOfCleanup

SEPTEMBER
It even managed to leak through the exterior door/wall and made puddles outside.
Those water molecules won that round. But I got the victory!
SIX days later when it was finally dry.

OCTOBER
Same costume, 10 years in a row.
Still haven't repeated the same combo of clothes.
#winning!

OCTOBER
OC to Rocky Top. Kristen visited over her fall break!
#SisterSister

NOVEMBER
My birthday brunch.
Didn't even know I knew more than 10 people in Knoxville.
(Pleasantly) Surprised myself. 

DECEMBER
Surprised my family & flew home to watch Lewis' last H.S. football game.
 Winning the State Championship made the rain wayyyyy more tolerable!

Plus, Christmas in California with family and friends is never a bad thing. May the joy of the Lord be with you throughout 2016!

Peace and Blessings, 

Xx Kayla

Cleaning/Purging + eBay = Making $$$

This is a happy equation. 

Back in January I wrote a post about my 2014 Goals (click to read more and to print the free printable). I decided to work on a different category of my life every couple months. I began by cleaning out my dresser and closet. Then I set up an ebay account because I just couldn't believe that Goodwill was going to get my Coach wallet and J-Crew pants, again. 

I can hardly believe it but after just 3 months I have over $200 in my paypal account! Wow. I'm not sure why it took me so long to jump on the ebay train. But I'm loving it. 

The set-up process took me a little while (1/2 day, including pictures of my things and uploading the initial 10 posts). And ever since I have been selling and shipping like it's my job. Because it kind of is. 

My advice to you is this...

1. Everyone needs to partake in "spring cleaning"…it's a liberating and free experience

2. Create an eBay account, now

3. Sell what you can

4. Donate the rest

-----------------------------------------

And because you are probably wondering how my March/April goal is going I will fill you in on that as well. 

I've shifted goals and am focusing on the "physical" category. Who better to do this with than my momma?! She and I are training for our first half marathon. We are by no means "runners" and have a goal to simply finish the race. We even looked into how much time they allow for us to get across the finish line lol

We should (<---with prayer, advil, self rewards, and lots of training) be fine. Please join us as we pray for our ligaments and heart as they adjust to us using them in this way on a regular basis. 

March (Almost April. Yikes!) Update

After my last birthday I decided to challenge myself to a list of things that a) I hadn't done before, and b) would make for an interesting and entertaining year. For the full copy of the list, CLICK HERE!

For all of the people who have joined me, thank you! It's been fun and there are plenty more activities to come. Again, see the list for complete details.

Below are two of the things that I've done. Some I have loved and others have just been okay. All have been rewarding and out of the norm, which is just what they should be.

Visit Sprinkles Ice Cream

After recommending it to friends, and they saying that they've always wanted to go (because there is always a line), we ventured over after dinner one night a couple months ago.

There was no line and once inside, I found myself looking at the prices in awe. I thought to myself, "People must LOVE the ice cream." Anyways, I tried approx 5 flavors (I'm super indecisive) and settled on Caption Crunch. Not a bad option. It was sweet and out of the ordinary, which is what I was going for.

They have everything on the menu from kids cup/cone to cupcake sundae or cupcake ice cream sandwich. Honestly, I would probably go to McConnel's Ice Cream (that happens to be a local Santa Barbara Ice Cream) than go to and spend mucho dinero on Sprinkles Ice Cream.

But hey, that's just me.

Movie Marathon

To start out, I didn't actually sit down and watch all of these movies in a day. I realized that I would fall asleep and spend the whole day "taking a nap" if I did that. So, I rented these movies and watched them when I had time over a span of a couple days.

TRANSAMERICA
Reminded me of a Lifetime movie. The plot was simple, the acting was decent, and the costumes were good. What surprised me the most was the ending..it wasn't exactly predictable. This was a library find and a good one at that.

STEP MOM
Such a great movie. It wasn't new to me, but I rented it because I couldn't resist. My heart breaks for the kids, but in the end, you see a family come together and make it work. I love this movie and can't figure out why I don't personally own a copy.

TORTILLA SOUP
This movie was just, alright. I tried and tried to get into the movie, but just couldn't. There are a lot of characters and the plot seemed a bit choppy to me. I must admit…I fell asleep twice while watching this and wouldn't rent it again.

SLEEPOVER
What a great, fun teenager movie. I love this movie because you watch it and just feel excited. Some of the actresses have since starred in larger films :) This movie reminds me of a Lifetime movie and one that anyone can enjoy. After starting the movie, I realized that I had already seen it but kept watching because it is such a good, lighthearted movie.

Everyone should spend some time indulging in guilty pleasures. I am not normally a movie person but found that I enjoyed letting my mind wonder and body relax. 

MmmMmm Good!

Lately I have been working (not to be confused with working out- whoops), traveling (nothing big, just a couple small trips for work and to see friends near and far), and relaxing (everyone needs to take a day off just to play golf and watch daytime tv, ya know?). 

But, I digress..

Here are two things that I made this week. Let's just say that I felt like my mom when I planned out my meals for the week. However, it saves me money and a potential heart attack. I really do love cooking and, more importantly baking, so all is well.

Recipe #1

Mini Chicken Pot Pie Cups

These are fun... and great for portion control. I used a half of biscuit for each cupcake tin and whatever veggies were in my fridge/freezer (aka green beans, green onions, corn, and cilantro). 

Ingredients:

- 1 can of reduced fat biscuits (

- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (I used 1 large chicken breast)
- 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
- 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies (anything works)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

- 1 teaspoon of onion powder

- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

- 2/3 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, chicken soup, veggies, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley flakes, and black pepper. Mix well to combine.3. *Separate biscuits, roll them out, and place each biscuit in a cup of a lightly greased 12-hole muffin pan, pressing dough up sides to edge of cup.
4. Evenly spoon chicken mixture into prepared biscuit cups.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from oven. Place muffin pan on a wire rack and let set for 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

*I do this one at a time -- flatten out the biscuit, press it into a baking tin, and then fill it with the mixture. 

Bam! There you go…an easy dinner that's yummy and filling! Andddd this one that helps you clean out the fridge. Wahoo!

But…It doesn't refrigerate well for more than 2 days. My rating: 7/10 

Recipe #2

Banana-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Bananas are tricky for me. I usually can eat two in a week without getting tired of them…but this week I was only able to eat one. Enter: "healthy" cookie recipe using 1 ripe banana. 

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1 banana, very ripe

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 cup flour, fluffed to aerate before measuring

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I use a bit more because I love cinnamon)

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 cups oats (old-fashioned or quick)

- 1 cup coconut, preferably unsweetened (optional)

- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Melt butter in a small dish in microwave, 10 seconds at a time.
3. Transfer to mixing bown.
4. With an electric mixer, thoroughly mix in sugars, banana, egg and vanilla.
5. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt.
6. Mix in to the banana mixture.
7. Mix in oatmeal (and chocolate chips or coconut).
8. Drop dough by tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
9. Bake for 11-14 minutes until set and golden.
10. Cool 5 minutes and remove from tray right away to a cooling rack.

Alright, friends…no excuses. Make these and you will not be disappointed. *These do have a banana flavor so they are not exactly regular cookies. I enjoyed them…every. single. one. of. them. My Rating: 9/10 (I'm going to try to make these with splenda and if that works/tastes good, then these will become a 9.5/10).

PS- I'm in the beginning stages of making a recipe book so if you have any go-to recipes or ideas (cooking, baking, snacks, etc)…send them my way.

Be merry, and eat well!